Local teen featured in GMC TV production

The stage play, which will premiere at 7 p.m. and air in a few half-hour pieces, originally was created for the theater by composer, writer, actor and director J.D. Lawrence.

By Cassie FossCassie.Foss@StarNewsOnline.com

It was theater audition day at a Leland elementary school, and 8-year-old Sa'Quan Carr decided to do something he'd never done before: He was going to act.He landed a role in the school's adaptation of "Tarzan" and from there, the acting bug caught hold of him."I told my parents I wanted to be an actor. This is what I want to do for the rest of my life," he said.His mom, Belinda, who runs a cleaning service, and dad, Sammy, a city of Wilmington employee, were skeptical."They said, ‘You're not going to be able to work in Wilmington – there aren't acting jobs here,' " Carr said.The youngster decided to prove them wrong.That was six years ago.On Saturday, Carr's parents, two sisters, classmates, neighbors and teachers will tune in to the GMC cable network to see the plucky Leland Middle Schooler in "Community Service," a sitcom-style gospel stage play produced by Wilmington's Swirl Films.The stage play, which will premiere at 7 p.m. and air in a few half-hour pieces, originally was created for the theater by composer, writer, actor and director J.D. Lawrence.In it, Lawrence portrays J.D., an Internet radio disc jockey who tries to help a friend, Sylvester (Buddy Lewis), get out of a $25 parking ticket. Because of his friend's failed romance with a local judge, both men wind up with 2,500 hours of community service at a local church.The show also features Sheryl Lee Ralph ("Moesha"), Drew Sidora ("That's So Raven") and Terri J. Vaughn ("The Steve Harvey Show"). Carr will play Kevin, one of the youngsters at the church. In one episode, Kevin is being bullied and J.D. steps in to help."I got to do a fighting scene. J.D. is trying to show me some moves, but he doesn't know that I actually have a black belt. I just don't want to hit the bully," Carr says.Certainly the 14-year-old has developed his craft since his elementary school theater days.In sixth grade, he "started getting smart with technology," and began to research local talent agencies."I did it all by myself," he said.By seventh grade and with his parents' OK, he had signed a contract with STW Talent Agency.This past summer, he landed a small role as a bully in another locally filmed GMC production, "Somebody's Child," a TV movie starring Lynn Whitfield and Michael Jai White.It was during that production that local casting agent Vanessa Neimeyer took notice of Carr.In December, Carr and his parents found out he'd gotten the role in "Community Service." The family couldn't have been more thrilled, he said.He wasn't nervous – at first."The very next day after I got the role I had rehearsal, and that's when I saw everyone – Sheryl, Drew, Clifton – all these people I see on TV," he said. "That's when I got nervous. I thought they might be mean – that I might forget my lines and they might yell at me."The reality was much different."Everyone was just normal and nice," Carr said. "I learned a lot."Some of the actors even dispensed some advice.Powell, who has starred in a slew of Swirl productions, including "Somebody's Child" and "Love for Sale" in Wilmington in 2007, told Carr to stick with drama and acting classes. But most importantly, to stay in school. Carr says he quickly made up work he missed during filming and has earned all A's and B's so far this quarter."He said I should make sure to take screenwriting, producing and directing classes, so I will know how to do it all," Carr said.That's fine by Carr's dad, who visited the "Community Service" set and has supported his son's goals."My parents are in shock – my dad already got popcorn," Carr said.That's not all.The family went out and bought a new big-screen TV to watch Saturday night's premiere, Carr said."I told the whole world about it – everyone at school and all the teachers," he said. "I'm so excited. It was great. I can't wait to do it again."